For 'The Lobster Kings,' I listened to a lot of Johnny Cash. And it makes its way into the book.

I'm like Johnny Cash. I only wear black.

But, I'm a big Johnny Cash and a big Lou Reed fan and a Fellini fan.

I ended up being friends with all my heroes. Lefty Frizzell, George Jones, Johnny Cash - it was incredible.

'Beneath the Piano' by The Devil Makes Three somehow reminds me of an old Johnny Cash song. The song is a lot of fun and tells a story.

I started writing 'The Lobster Kings' the day after I sold my first novel, 'Touch.'